Daily Triglyceride Kinetics When Consuming a Realistic Western Diet in at-Risk Individuals across the Metabolic Spectrum: A Case Study

Abstract

High postprandial triglycerides are a strong cardiovascular disease risk factor. However, the extent triglycerides rise during daily living due to multiple meals remains poorly defined, especially in at-risk individuals. The aim of this case study was to quantify 24-h triglycerides in an individual with normal-weight obesity (NWO), metabolic syndrome (MetS), and type 2 diabetes (T2D) consuming a Western-style diet. In the morning, an indwelling catheter was inserted into a forearm vein and metabolic markers were measured hourly for 18-h and every 3-h for the last 6-h. The participants with NWO and T2D both experienced peak triglycerides ~280 mg/dL, which is considered an adverse response. The participant MetS had a similar relative change in triglycerides, but only reached 214 mg/dL. Interestingly, The participant with NWO displayed the greatest triglyceride area under the curve. Overall, we report that all three participants’ triglycerides nearly tripled with Western diet consumption, despite considerably different risk-profiles.